


A New Beginning

by LalalaLemonade



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: But only a little, F/M, Fluff, Funny, Oneshot, Post BotW, Post-Breath of the Wild, Post-Canon, guys idk how to use tags this is my first rodeo, hair cutting, i dont know how to tag stuff please take pity on me, lowkey angsty, pre BOTW2, soft, zelda hair cut, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-25 19:40:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20729687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LalalaLemonade/pseuds/LalalaLemonade
Summary: After the events of Breath of the Wild, Zelda cuts her hair and talks about her feelings. Link is also there. Now with minor edits.





	A New Beginning

Link woke up to the sound of creaking bed springs followed by the whisper of stocking feet crossing the floor. Instantly alert, his eyes darted around the forested landscape, looking for the source of the noise. Only, he realized, he wasn’t camping in the woods at all, but lying on a make-shift cot on his bedroom floor. As this realization washed over him, he felt his heartbeat slow down.

_Stupid, _he thought to himself, _can’t you remember anything?_

Ever since he had regained his lost memories from before Ganon’s attack, his memory had been spotty to say the least. It mostly happened in little ways; he’d approach a market stall only to forget what he was supposed to be buying, or end up giving his horse Epona two dinners because he couldn’t remember feeding her only an hour prior. Not that Epona seemed to mind. Mostly, though, he had spells where he felt foggy and disoriented, like he was somewhere between being awake and falling asleep. But Zelda was always patient with him, giving him gentle reminders to come back to the present, and things seemed to be improving.

_Zelda. Right, that’s why I’m here._

“Here” was Link’s cottage in Hateno Village. He and Zelda had been traveling for days now, camping under the open sky as they journeyed from corner of Hyrule to another. But, since they had been in the area, they both had jumped at the opportunity to sleep in a real bed for a change. Or at least Zelda had. Link had given her the bed, and was currently on a lumpy (albeit soft) pile of blankets and cushions a few feet away. He still felt a twinge of guilt about their closeness; it seemed wrong, like he was invading her privacy. His plan had been to sleep on the lower level by the fire, but, despite his protests, Zelda had asked him to stay with her. And, if he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t protested as much as he should have. He didn’t like being separated from her for too long. Neither of them wanted to admit it, lest the other one accuse them of being overprotective, but he knew they were both afraid that they’d wake up one morning only to find themselves alone again. So, here he was, sleeping on the bedroom floor. Far enough from the bed that there was ample room to walk between them, but close enough that if they both stretched their arms out, their fingertips could touch.

Link blinked a few times, straining unsuccessfully to make out shapes in the dark room. By his best judgement it was early morning, the sun not yet peeking its face above the horizon. Too early by normal standards for anyone to be up, and especially too early by Zelda-standards. She generally preferred to stay up to an ungodly hour of the night reading by candlelight, and then sleep in as late as she could while he made breakfast. There was no reason for her to be up now. He must have imagined the noise.

Just as he was coming to this conclusion, he heard the scratch and hiss of a match being struck. A small flame flared to life, illuminating Zelda’s face. She stood with most of her back towards him as she reached over the desk to grab a candle. Link considered calling out to ask her what she was doing, but thought better of it. She was trying her best to be quiet, so she clearly didn’t want to wake him up. Whatever she was doing, she wanted to do it alone.

Link absentmindedly watched her light the candle and set it on the desk, casting herself and her sleep-rumpled clothes in a warm yellow glow. She had slept in her tunic and trousers— they both had, as neither of them owned anything suitable to change into.

Zelda had teased him endlessly for that. _You mean to tell me that you have _seven_ different sets of armor, but you don’t own a single pair of night clothes? Honestly, how have you survived this long without me._

Sometimes he wondered that himself. It was a little strange, traveling with a partner after being alone for so long. But a good kind of strange. It was nice having someone else around. Someone to talk to during long horseback rides as they traveled across the rolling hills near the edges of the Zora domain. Someone to point out constellations to as they set up camp for the night. Someone to tell him that yes, back-flipping down from a boulder into a Bokoblin camp would be pretty funny, but it also would be a pretty good way to get himself killed. Little things like that reminded him how lucky he was to have found her again.

Picking up a wooden comb, Zelda walked softly over to the window, the candlelight causing her face to reflect off the dark panes of glass like a mirror as she began combing her hair. Zelda was smart like that, coming up with unusual solutions to her problems. Link didn’t own a mirror after all, something that Zelda probably would have said was painfully obvious. But getting up before dawn just to fix her hair seemed odd to Link. She wasn’t usually the type to care this much about her appearance. Though, to be fair, it had been over a hundred years since she had seen herself reflected in anything more than a pond or river. He wasn’t going to question her for this small vanity.

The rhythmic strokes and whisper of the comb brushing through her hair was making Link drowsy. His eyelids grew heavy as she gathered her hair at the nape of her neck with one hand while searching for something on the dresser with the other—a tie or ribbon to hold her hair back he assumed. Then she picked up a knife. And suddenly, with a stab of panic, Link was wide awake again.

_What was she doing?_

Afraid of startling her and causing her to hurt herself, he watched, frozen in place, as she lifted the knife in front of her, light glinting off the polished blade. It was more of a dagger really, one Link kept on his person for emergencies. It wasn’t his preferred weapon, but he always kept it sharp, just in case. He kind of regretted that now.

She stared at the knife for a moment in quiet contemplation. Seemingly having come to a decision, she shifted the hand holding her hair so that there were a few inches of slack between her fist and the nape of her neck. Using her reflection in the window for guidance, she carefully brought the knife around to the back of her head, making sure to avoid her fingers, and rested it against her ponytail. Then with a swift motion she began cutting her hair.

Silent as a ghost, Link rose from his pile of blankets and crossed the floor, gently placing his hand on the knife’s handle, a little below hers. Their eyes met in the mirrored glass. Zelda’s hand stilled, as a charged silence grew between them.

“It’s too late to stop me, you know that. I’ve already started.” Her eyes blazed fiercely in the dim light as her grip on the knife tightened, daring him to contradict her. He shook his head slightly, not trusting himself to speak in such a tense situation. Instead, he gestured towards the knife and then back to himself.

Zelda visibly relaxed as she realized what he meant. “No. Thank you for offering Link, but this is something I need to do myself.” Her voice softened. “It’s all right, really.”

Nodding, he carefully shifted the knife’s blade, angling it away from her fist, before taking a step back. He assumed that Zelda would want to be alone with her thoughts, but, to his surprise, she spoke again.

“I’m not crazy you know. There’s a reason I’m doing this. Well, part of a reason at least.” She had resumed the steady back-and-forth off the knife. About a third of the ponytail had been cut through, the ends just brushing her shoulders. “It’s just that I’ve been thinking about who I am, and who I’m not. I look at myself and I don’t see me, I see a princess. And I’m not a princess anymore.”

Link cocked his head to the side in silent disagreement.

“Oh, be quiet. I know you think I’ll always be a princess on the inside, but you understand what I’m trying to say.”

“I didn’t say anything” Link responded at last, amused.

She huffed in false annoyance, gesturing loosely with the hand that held the knife. “You didn’t have to. Your silence speaks volumes”

That was something he loved about Zelda. His silence tended to put people off— they assumed he was either rude or distracted, and tended to avoid conversing with him— and to be fair, that’s what had happened between them initially. But she hadn’t given up on him. She learned that his silence was actually focus, and that he _did_ respond to people—just not necessarily with words.

He eyed the hand with the knife critically as Zelda rolled her eyes and continued her sawing motion.

“I just— I suppose I just wanted a fresh start. To become the person I always wanted to be but never thought I could be. Does that make any sense?”

Link opened his mouth, but Zelda rushed on instead of waiting for an answer.

“And I know, I know that I could do that without changing my appearance, but it was as if I needed to… That is to say, something about it…”

“Something about it felt right” Link gently supplied. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Zelda. If this is what you need to do, then you should do it. I trust you.”

She briefly squeezed her eyes shut, as if to hold back tears. “Thank you” she said quietly.

As she spoke, Zelda sliced through the last few strands of her hair, leaving the end of the ponytail dangling from her fist. She gingerly set the knife down on the table and drew a long, slow breath before turning to face him.

“Well then. Here it is. Here _I_ am” She corrected herself. Her arms hung awkwardly at her side, still clutching the remnants of her hair. “How do I look?”

Zelda’s hair framed her face in choppy, golden tendrils. Without their previous weight, they formed small waves, curling slightly around her ears. But Link was more focused on her face. Her jaw was set in determination, but deep in her eyes he could see something that he hadn’t noticed in her reflection; doubt. Zelda carried herself with such strength and purpose that he sometimes forgot that she could be self-conscious. She was good at hiding it from everyone, even herself, but Link knew better.

“How do you feel?” He asked instead. Blinking, she considered his question.

“I’m not quite sure. Lighter, I suppose” She tilted her head experimentally, causing her hair to swing back and forth. Mostly I just feel… different”.

“Different can be good.”

She nodded firmly. “Yes. Definitely a good different.”

“Then that’s all that matters.” He said, nodding in return.

“I suppose you’re right” She smiled at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement. “When did you get so wise?”

Link shrugged, nudging her shoulder playfully with his. “You must have rubbed off on me.”

Laughing a little, Zelda shook her head. “If I was truly smart, I would have come up with a plan for what to do with all this hair. I haven’t the slightest idea of where to keep it.” Her voice adopted a teasing tone. “I once heard of a tradition where maidens gave locks of their hair to their loved ones as a token of affection. I could simply gift this to you. Then it’ll be your problem to deal with.”

He knew she was joking, but he couldn’t help but feel a little pleased. “I’m flattered. But as much as I appreciate the gesture, I think I have a better idea.” Link unfastened the window and pushed it open, letting the cool night air blow into the room, wafting the curtains back. Clambering on top of the dresser, he swung one leg over the window frame.

Zelda sighed “Do I even want to know what you’re doing?”

“It’s fine, watch.” The house had been built into a hill, so there was a grassy landing right outside the top floor. He jumped down safely and poked his head back through the window, spreading his arms wide in a gesture that said “See?”

She eyed him critically. “Your house has a door you know. You might want to consider using it.”

He smiled “Faster this way.” He beckoned her towards the window. “Come on, your turn.”

Shaking her head in mock disapproval, she followed him, still clutching her severed hair in her left hand.

Outside the sky was just barely starting to lighten. Soft gusts of wind buffeted their faces and rustled the leaves of nearby trees, breaking the silence. Zelda shivered, bringing her free hand subconsciously to touch the ends of her hair.

“My neck feels so exposed. I’ll have to get used to that.” She turned her attention back to Link. “Alright, we’re outside. Now what?”

In response, Link pointed towards the roof.

“And how exactly, Link, are you planning on getting up there?” She asked drily, putting her hands on her hips. He grinned as he jumped up the side of the overhang, quickly finding a handhold and pulling himself onto the roof. He peered over the edge to find Zelda scowling in his general direction.

“Wonderful,” she called out, “now how am _I _supposed to get up there?”

It really wasn’t that much of a climb, but with one of her hands occupied, Link knew that Zelda would end up struggling more than she was comfortable with. Instead, he instructed her to brace her foot against the corner of the wall while he reached down to grab her hand. After pulling her part of the way up, he looped his other arm underneath her shoulder and lifted her until she was sitting on the edge of the roof.

“Show-off” she muttered as he scooted over to make room for her. “Are you sure that this is safe?”

“Of course. I make it a habit to check out the roofs of all the buildings I visit.”

She laughed. “I hate that I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

The wind was stronger up here. Zelda’s hair danced around her face like a golden halo. She caught him looking at her and made a face.

“I know, I know, I look like a disaster I’m sure. Perhaps I should pull my hair back like you do, get it out of the way.”

Link shook his head adamantly. “No, you don’t. You look…” His words caught in his throat as he searched for a way to describe her. “Beautiful” wasn’t enough, really. It didn’t capture her complexities, the intelligence shining in her eyes, or the wonderful way she said his name. He wished that he could press his forehead to hers, allowing his thoughts to pass from his mind to her own so that she could understand once and for all why words didn’t do her justice. But the silence had drawn on for too long. Zelda turned away, shifting her gaze towards the direction of the canyon below.

“So, what now?” she said lightly. “What’s the next step in your plan? Please tell me you’ve run out of things to climb up or out of.”

“Now comes the easy part. Though it’s also the hardest part.” He said simply. You have to let go.”

She looked towards him again, confusion etched on her face.

“You’ve cut it off, but you’re still holding onto it, see?” He took her fist in his hand and gently rubbed her fingers with his thumb. She had been holding on so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. “If you really want to move on, you can’t let it hold you back any longer. You have to let it all go.”

For once, Zelda was quiet. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw a tear slip down her face. Then, one by one, she began lifting her fingers. For a moment, her hair lay still in her palm, proffered to the sky like an offering. Then the wind picked up again, whisking the golden strands off into the unknown.

They sat like that for several minutes, watching as the rising sun began to spill its rosy light across the sky. Somewhere in the distance, a bird was singing. 

“Maybe they’ll use my hair to build a nest. The bird, I mean.” Zelda hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes never straying from the horizon. It really was a beautiful sunrise.

“A new beginning.” Link added thoughtfully, watching Zelda. “I like that.”

She turned to him, almost smiling. “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Wow! I have never ever written a completed fanfiction before and I managed to churn this out in 24 hours? I am very new at this, and I know I made a lot of mistakes, so I would welcome any critique you can give (especially spelling or formatting advice. I don't have a proofreader because if anybody I knew found out I wrote this I would probably Die). I would also like to give a quick shout out to @JustAPileOfAshProbably for inspiring me to write in the first place! If you haven't read her botw fic "Fate's Cruelty" you're missing out.
> 
> For added immersion, feel free to listen to the "Let me see what you have" "A knife!" "NO" vine during that one part. You know the one.


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